Uma V.

Managing Trustee, Suyam

Biography

• MSc (Maths), Bed, MBA

• 20 years in field of Social Work

• Student Leader

• Started Suyam in 1998 with college friends

• Siragu Montessori school started in 2003 in a village 40kms from Chennai

Areas of Work

• Taking children off street begging and place them in schools

• Training program for teachers

• Manage running of the Siragu School

• Tsunami Relief and Rehabilitation

Tsunami R & R

• Immediate Relief: Food Distribution, Removing corpses, Counselling

• Activity Center in Nagapattinam and Karaikkal

• Library in Akkaraipettai

• Tailoring Center in Nagapattinam

Tsunami R & R

• Training of other NGO’s

• Placing children through the SSA

Siragu School

• 200 children

• A hostel for 15-20 children

• 6 Teachers and 3 Non-Teaching Staff

• All children are first generation learners

• Teachers from the community and trained

• Tuition center children attending area schools

Other Activities

• Empowerment Programs : Self Help Groups, Self Employment

• Health Camps

• Eco friendly activities

• Networking with other NGO’s

Support

• $2667/ year (Rs 1.17 Lakhs) for the last 2 years

• Request for funding to continue

• Review by the Asha Fellowship Program since goals have changed